1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a surgical grasping instrument. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a surgical grasping instrument having a jaw assembly with arcuate gripping portions to securely grasp a cylindrical surgical object.
2. Background of Related Art
During certain surgical procedures, it is often necessary to remove damaged section of tubular tissue sections and reconnect the healthy free ends. This is often accomplished with the use of a circular surgical stapler. The circular surgical stapler has a removable anvil assembly which is positioned within one of the free ends of the healthy tubular tissue. The anvil assembly includes a staple clinching anvil head or cap and an anvil shaft extending from the anvil cap.
The circular surgical stapler is positioned within the other free end of healthy tubular tissue and the anvil shaft is connected to the stapler. The anvil cap is drawn adjacent to a staple containing head of the stapler and the stapler is fired to form a circular ring of staples reconnecting the healthy free ends of the tubular tissues. Thereafter, a circular knife blade cores away any tissue remaining radially inwardly of the ring of staples and the circular surgical stapler including the anvil assembly is removed as a single unit.
In order to position the anvil assembly within the body of a patient and into a free end of tubular tissue, the anvil assembly is grasped and manipulated into position by a grasping instrument at the anvil shaft. Grasping instruments have a jaw assembly including first and second jaws with flat grasping surfaces. When engaged by the flat grasping surfaces of the jaw assembly, the anvil shaft can skew sideways, slip or slide relative to the flat grasping surfaces of the jaws making it difficult to grasp the anvil assembly, manipulate it into position and reattach it to the circular stapler. The round anvil can also easily drop out of the flat jaws of the grasping instrument. This quite often extends the time of the surgical operation and leads to increased frustration levels for the surgeon.
Therefore, a need exists for a jaw assembly configured to firmly grasp the round shaft of a circular surgical anvil assembly. There also exists a need for a surgical grasping instrument capable of firmly grasping the round shaft of a circular surgical anvil assembly and manipulate it into position to be reconnected to a circular surgical stapler.